Material handling apparatus



March 3, 1942. H. P. M;ANN 2,274,842

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20,- 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l ooeeoomecca oooeoo o'omm 090000 INVENTOR. Her/*7 771 627212 30/ 1, v 30ATTORNEYS March 3, 1942. p MccANN MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Au26. 1958 s She etS-She et 2 R. OnvE m w m nw qA m. 2

March 3, 1942. MCCANN 2,274,842;

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATU Filed Aug. 20, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet :5

' INVENTOR- ATTORNEYS.

March 3, 1942.

H. P, M CANN MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1938 5 sheetssheet 4 Patented Mar. 3, 1942 I r.

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Harry P. McCann, Shaker Heights, Ohio,assignor to The C. 0. Bartlett & Snow Company, Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application August 20, 1938, Serial No. 225,922

6 Claims.

This invention relates, as indicated, to material handling and treatingapparatus and more particularly to apparatus for the handling ofmaterials such as cores used in foundries.

A principal object of my invention is to provide apparatus in the natureof a core-drying oven which is provided with a novel arrangement ofapparatus for handling the cores during their passage through the oven.

Other objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the followingdescription setting forth in detail certain means and one mode ofcarrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating,however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the inventionmay be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View, partially in section, of core ovenconstructed in accordance with the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 isa side elevational view, partially in section, of the structureillustrated in Fig. 1 taken at right angles to said last-named figureand from the left side thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view, partially insection, of the apparatus illustrated in the previous figures; Fig. 4 isa transverse sectional view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. l, forexample, taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 44; Figs.5 and 6 are fragmentary views of the apparatus illustrated in Fig, 1,showing particularly the construction of the elevating chain and itsassociated trays or cradles; and Figs. '7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary viewsdrawn to an enlarged scale of the lower end of the oven showing moreparticularly the means for charging and unloading the oven and forshifting the trays from one side of the oven to the other.

The oven comprises a substantially vertical housing generally indicatedat I, which may be fabricated of suitable material, suchas structuralsteel, and provided with a central partition member 2 extending fromadjacent the bottom thereof, as at 3, to adjacent the top thereof, as at4, dividing the substantially rectangular chamber l into two verticallyextending compartments. The upper structure 5 of the frame I carries asuitable cross-shaft B on which are mounted sprocket wheels I.

An endless conveyor 8 istrained about sprockets 1, such conveyorconsisting of side runs 9 and It], provided with rollers at their pointsof articulation and operating in vertically disposed tracks 8a. Thetracks 8a are joined at their bottom ends by a circular section, thusmaking it unnecessary to provide sprockets similar to l at the lower endof the oven. The chains or more particularly, runs 9 and ID of theconveyor 8, are in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 5 and 6,provided with attached channel-shaped carrier members 80., which extendgenerally transversely of the direction of the chain. The two runs 9 andI!) are so positioned on the sprockets I that the members 9a of the tworuns 9 and Id lie in the same plane as the two runs are caused to travelthrough the oven l by the sprockets I.

The members 9a serve as supporting means for the trays which carry thework through the oven. These trays consist of transversely extendingbars II which are provided with transversely extending arms l2intermediately of their ends and end members I 2a by which the trays aresupported on the members 9a carried by the runs 9 and II] of theconveyor.

The work to be cured is supported on core plates l3 and the work in theillustration is shown as cores [4.

The chain 8 is driven by means of a motor l5, most clearly illustratedin Fig. 2, operating through a gear reduction l6, which includes a gearmounted on the upper shaft 6, which carries the sprockets I about whichthe chain is trained at the upper end of the oven,

The oven is provided adjacent its lower end with a fan generallyindicated at ll for the purpose of circulating preferably heated airthrough the oven, the fan housing I8 being so arranged to introduce theheated air into one side of the oven and to discharge the same throughthe outlet duct I9 connected with the other side of the oven. A suitablethermostat element conventionally illustrated at 20 may be employedalong with a conventional temperature-controlling de- Vice 2! for thepurpose of controlling and regulating the temperature of the airintroduced to the oven,

As most. clearly illustrated in Fig; 4, there are provided in eachsection of the oven adjacent its bottom, a plurality of oppositelydirected stationary fingers 22 so spaced with respect to each other andthe central part of the oven that the rods H, which are also providedwith laterally extending fingers l2 on which the core-carrying platesare supported, may pass through the stationary fingers 22. Thus if aplate and its associated core is positioned on these stationary fingers22 and the rod H, with its associated fingers l2, passes upwardlythrough the stationary fingers 22, the core plates will be picked offfrom the stationary fingers 22 and carried upwardly in the left-handcompartment of the oven as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Similarly, when the chain descends in the righthand portion of the oven,as illustrated in Fig. 1, the core plates will be deposited by the chainon the stationary fingers 22 in this section of the oven.

Positioned on opposite sides of the oven are feeder and dischargeconveyors 24 and 25 respectively. Thus, the uncured cores are moved tothe oven by the conveyor 24 and the cured cores moved away from the ovenby the conveyor 25. The general mode of operation of these conveyorswill be hereinafter more fully described. Suffice it to say at thispoint that the general control apparatus for the entire system is soarranged that the movement of the cores through the drying oven I bymeans of the chain 8 and the movement of the cured cores on the chargingand discharge conveyors 25 is synchronized.

The passage of the cores through the oven may be briefly described inthe following manner:

The uncured cores are moved over onto the stationary fingers 22 in thelefthand side of the core oven where they are picked up by the chain 8elevated to near the top of the oven where instead of passing around theaxis of the shaft 6 with the chain 8, they are slid across to thedescending run of the chain by apparatus hereinafter more particularlydescribed. They, thereupon, descend on the righthand run of the chainuntil they are deposited on the stationary fingers 22 in the righthandportion of the oven where they are moved by means, likewise hereinaftermore particularly described, over onto the discharge conveyor 25.

On opposite sides of the oven are provided door openings, normallyclosed by doors 64a through which the work is introduced to andwithdrawn from the oven. These doors are controlled by a ram 64operating through cables 64b. Two sets of cables such as 6417 areconnected to the head of the ram 64 so that actuation of the ram 64results in an opening and closing of both doors.

The uncured cores, on their supporting core plates are moved into theoven and the cured cores, on their supporting core plates, moved out ofthe oven by the apparatus particularly illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9,to which reference may be had in connection with the followingdescription of such apparatus:

The actuating device for this shifting apparatus is a fluid ram 26carrying a head 21. The head 21 comprises one end of a carriage whichincludes the rods 26a and a rear cross head 2111. This carriage ismounted on rollers 28a, which operate in the channels 281;. These spacedchannels 28b extend across the bottom of the oven at opposite sides andoutwardly therefrom at the left side as most clearly illustrated in Fig.7.

The head 21 carries dogs 28 which may be either spring-loaded orgravity-actuated and so arranged that they resist counterclockwiserotation, as viewed in Fig. '7, but may be freely moved in a clockwisedirection about their supporting axis when, for example, the dogs moverearwardly under the supporting core plate 29 which carries the coreabout to be fed to the oven.

The rear head 21a carries projections 3| and tion illustrated in dottedlines.

31a for the purpose hereinafter more fully explained.

Assuming now that the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 7,1.e., the conveyor has moved for one step lifting the uncured core fromthe stationary fingers 22 in the lefthand compartment of the oven andhas deposited a cured core on the stationary fingers 22 in the righthandcompartment of the oven so that the apparatus is in a position todischarge a cured core and to receive an uncured core. The ram 26 willbe energized, moving the carriage which includes the heads 21 and 21aand the rods 260. from the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 7to the left until the dog 28 occupies the posi- In thus passing underthe core plate 29, the dog 28 has been depressed but after having passedout from under the rear edge of such core plate, its spring orcounterweight has raised the same to the dotted line position.

The conveyor in depositing the core plate 29a on the stationary fingers22 in the righthand compartment of the oven has moved the tray,including the cross-bar H and arms I2, downwardly through the stationaryfingers 22 in the righthand compartment until such tray or moreparticularly, the side fiange members I2a thereof, rest on the uppersurface of the channel members 28b.

As the carriage moves to the left upon actuation of the ram 26, theprojections 3la on the righthand end of such carriage will engage thecross-bars I l of the tray and move the same over into position underthe stationary fingers 22 in the left compartment of the oven.

After the carriage has thus moved to the extreme left position, asindicated by the dotted line position of the dog 28, the ram 26 isenergized to move the carriage to the right. With the carriage in theextreme left position, the fingers 3| will have moved to the left of thecore plate 29a and as previously indicated, the dog 28 will be to theleft of the core plate 29.- As the carriage is, therefore, moved to theright, the dog 28 will move the core plate 29 to the right and thefingers 3| will move the core plate 29a to the right, thus charging thecore plate 29 onto the stationary fingers 22 in the lefthand side of theoven and the fingers 3| move the core plate 29a from the stationaryfingers in the righthand side of the oven over onto the dischargeconveyor. The fingers 3| are spring-loaded or counterweighted similarlyto the dogs 28 so that they may function in a like manner.

The lifting conveyor in the oven is now in position to be energized andasthe bar 9a attached to the chain rises, it first picks up the tray andthen elevates the tray upwardly through the stationary fingers 22 wherethe core plate is picked up and elevated to the position substantiallyoccupied by the lowermost core plate and its supported core in thelefthand compartment of the oven as shown in Fig. 7. Simultaneously, thedescending run of the conveyor deposits a core plate and the baked corecarried thereby onto the stationary fingers 22 in the righthand side ofthe oven.

For the next cycle of operation, the above described procedure will, ofcourse, be merely repeated.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that for each cycle of movementof the ram 26,i. e., a complete movement to the left and a returnmovement to the right, will move one core plate and its associated coreinto the lefthand side of the oven and deposit the same on thestationary fingers 22 therein and move a plate with its cured core fromthe stationary fingers 22 in the righthand side of the core oven ontothe discharge conveyor 25.

A similar ram 32 is provided at the upper end of the oven and to itshead 33 are connected rods 34 and actuating fingers 35 which extend intothe oven into such a position as to engage the tray at the upperstation, illustrated at 35, on the lefthand run of the chain and movethe same transversely of the oven across the top of the partition 2,over onto the carrier members 9a carried by the chain 3. The rods 34carry depending brackets 35 for engagement with the trays in the mannerdescribed and as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. Thus, when the head33 of the ram 32 is moved to the right, a tray with its associatedpartially cured core and plate is moved from the lefthand or elevatingrun of the conveyor chain to the righthand or descending run of theconveyor chain.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means andthe steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any of thefollowing claims or their equivalent be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinct- .1

ly claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a substantially verticallyarranged endless conveyor comprising parallel runs of chain, carriermembers attached thereto, work-carrying trays supported by said members,a loading platform near the lower end of the elevating run of saidconveyor, an unloading platform near the lower end of the descending runof said conveyor, means for moving the work into and out of the pathofmovement of said trays at said loading and unloading platforms, meansnear the upper end of said conveyor for removing one of saidworkcarrying trays from its carrier members on the elevating run of saidconveyor and transferring said tray directly to carrier members on thedescending run of said conveyor, and meansbelow said loading andunloading platforms for removing the empty trays from the descending runand transferring them to the ascending run of said conveyor.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a

substantially vertically arranged endless conveyor comprising parallelruns of chain, carrier members attached thereto, work-carrying trayssupported by said members, means adjacent the lower end of said conveyorfor moving the work into the path of movement of the trays on theascending run and out of the path of movement of the trays on thedescending run, means near the upper end of said conveyor for removingone of said work-carrying trays from its carrier members on theelevating run and transferring said tray directly to carrier members onthe descending run of said conveyor, and means adjacent the bottom ofsaid conveyor for removing the empty trays from the descending run andtransferring them directly to the ascending run of said conveyor.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a substantially verticallyarranged endless conveyor comprising parallel runs of chain, carriermembers attached thereto, work-carrying trays supported by said members,means adjacent the lower end of said conveyor for moving the work intothe path of movement of the trays on the ascending run and out of thepath of movement of the trays on the descending run, said means beinalso operable to remove an empty tray from the descending run andtransfer the same directly to the ascending run, and means near theupper end of said conveyor for removing one of said work-carrying traysfrom its carrier members on the ascending run and transferring said traydirectly to carrier members on the descending run of said conveyor.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a substantially verticallyarranged endless conveyor comprising parallel runs of chain, carriermembers attached thereto, Work-carrying trays supported by said members,a loading platform near the lower end of the elevating run of saidconveyor, an unloading platform near the lower end of the descending runof said conveyor, means for moving the work into and out of the path ofmovement of said trays at said loading and unloading platforms, andmeans below said loading and unloading platforms for removing the emptytrays from the descending run and transferring them to the ascending runof said conveyor.

5. In apparatus of the character described, a substantially verticallyarranged endless conveyor comprising parallel runs of chain, carriermembers attached thereto, work-carrying trays supported by said members,a grille adjacent the bottom of each of said runs adapted to supportwork thereon and to permit the passage therethrough of said trayswhereby the trays on said ascending run may pick up the work from saidgrille and the trays on said descending run may deposit the work on saidgrille, and means below said grille for removing an empty tray from thedescending run and transferring it to the ascending run of the conveyor.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a substantially verticallyarranged endless conveyor comprising parallel runs of chain, carriermembers attached thereto, work-carrying trays supported by said members,a grille adjacent the bottom of each of said runs adapted to supportwork thereon and to permit the passage therethrough of said trayswhereby the trays on said ascending run may pick up the work from saidgrille and the trays on said descending run may deposit the work on saidgrille, and a reciprocable carriage adjacent the bottom of said conveyoroperable upon movement thereon in one direction to charge work onto saidgrille in the .path of the trays on the ascending run and to dischargework deposited on said grille out of the path of trays on the descendingrun, said carriage being operable upon movement in the oppositedirection to move an empty tray from the descending run and transfer itto the ascending run of the conveyor.

HARRY P. MCCANN.

